Saturday, January 11, 2003

Arch Enemies

Hats off to Walt Riker, the VP for Corporate Communications at McDonalds.

Riker responds today in the New York Times to an anti-McDonalds hit piece, "Tarnished Arches", that ran in the Times two weeks ago the gist of which was that more people around the world do and should hate McDonalds.

Riker writes cogently that McDonalds is no longer a symbol of American cultural imperialism but an expression of a universal desire for quality food at reasonable prices.

We are always evolving, with a Kiwi Burger in New Zealand, Chicken Maharaja Mac in India and a chicken flatbread sandwich in the United States. There are snowmobile drive-through lanes in Sweden and cashless technology programs in America.

The real headline is: we are under new management. James J. Cantalupo, our new chief executive, is bringing confidence and optimism to our global family.

Good. Riker rebutted the charges and managed to deliver his messages about the new CEO.

Of course, the Times dragged it’s feet about publishing the letter . . . far more important was the troubling itching cloud that is plaguing Nantucket.

Riker should have taken a tip from the blogosphere and Fisked the entire Times editorial on www.McDonalds.com and gotten his unfiltered views into circulation immediately.

I’m just waiting for a confident corporation to push back at the media bullies with facts and sarcasm.